Marc-Antoine Charpentier - Sacred Music, Volume 4

Le Concert Spirituel, Herve Niquet

Herve Niquet and his ensemble, Le Concert Spirituel, are generally agreed to rank among the very finest exponents of French Baroque music. It was therefore an inspired choice when Naxos engaged... — International Record Review, May 2000More…

Reviews

May 2000

Herve Niquet and his ensemble, Le Concert Spirituel, are generally agreed to rank among the very finest exponents of French Baroque music. It was therefore an inspired choice when Naxos engaged them to record a series exploring the sacred music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier. This new disc is a worthy successor to the three previous releases and, like them, contains a mixed programme of motets and other liturgical works. The connecting theme for this volume is devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, though the mood changes at the end with a festive Chant joyeux du temps de Paques.Niquet is an ideal interpreter of this repertory, and his thoroughly idiomatic performances allow the two soprano voices in particular to be heard to maximum effect.